Paul Scholes Reveals His Thoughts on the GOAT Debate: Messi or Ronaldo?
In a recent interview with ESPN, Manchester United legend Paul Scholes weighed in on the eternal debate between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. As someone who played alongside Ronaldo at Old Trafford and witnessed Messi’s brilliance firsthand, Scholes has a unique perspective on the subject.
Scholes was quick to choose Messi as the better player, citing his incredible all-around ability. "Messi, but Ronaldo is brilliant," he said. "Ronaldo is sensational at what he does, with pace and power. He scores, he takes free-kicks. But as an all-round footballer, Messi – wow, his passing – has absolutely everything."
Scholes’ opinion is backed up by the stats. Messi has consistently outperformed Ronaldo in terms of overall team success, with six La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns to his name. Ronaldo, on the other hand, has won five Champions League titles, but only one La Liga title.
But what about the argument that Ronaldo’s goalscoring record is unmatched? Scholes acknowledges Ronaldo’s incredible strike rate, but counters that Messi’s ability to control the game is unparalleled. "Messi is a magician," he said. "He can stop the game and start it again. He can make things happen out of nothing."
Scholes’ experience playing against Messi has only reinforced his opinion. In a Champions League semi-final against Barcelona in 2008, Scholes scored the winning goal to send Manchester United to the final. But he’s been open about the challenges of facing Messi, admitting that he often found himself trying to stay away from the Argentine superstar.
"I am not ashamed to admit that in the games against Barcelona I spent a lot of the time just hoping he would take up positions as far away from me as possible," Scholes wrote in a column for the Standard. "Elusive is the word that immediately springs to mind when I think about Messi’s style of play. You think you have an eye on him and then – blink – he has gone, only to reappear somewhere else in space, with the ball."
So, who do you agree with? Is Messi the more complete player, or is Ronaldo’s goalscoring record the key to his greatness? Let us know in the comments!
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